History Of Guitar (Part 2) 1932-1939 (Rickenbacker, Vivi-Tone, Gibson, Slingerland) Pre War Electric

This week Josh's Monday Monolog is Part 2 of the History of the Guitar. This session covers Pre-War Electrics.
1932-1949
www.thejhsshow.com/
www.jhspedals.info/
JHS Fresh Clips: kzbin.info/door/TN1...
#jhs #thejhsshow #shopping #guitar pedal #auction #vintagepedals #ebay #reverb #electricguitar
#guitarhistory

[@fivewattworld]

It’s spelled out…but both will get you there. Thanks for the shout out Josh. You’re a good man Charlie Brown.

[@NewFalconerRecords]

Josh has superb taste in KZbin channels, and yours is one of the best 👌

[@jhspedals]

lol, thanks! you're work is so wonderful!

[@drtm1718]

You guys are both my favorite guitar/ music stuff channels.

[@aliasdandavisofficial]

Thank you for not "trimming" this down. Because of my work schedule, I almost always catch these the next day (or 2 hours late, like today). It's the illusion of catching it live. I don't type fast enough to be part of the chat anyway. 🤘 etc.

[@ricklodewell6012]

I, too usually cannot see it live. Please don't trim anything.

[@usejustonce2386]

Josh is such an excellent teacher. He explains things well without being boring. And it's clear he actually cares about this stuff

[@raimondo3178]

People love "gotcha!". They wouldn't be caught dead thanking you, Josh, for teaching them a million other things that they did NOT know. Small people with small minds, and a withered heart.

[@jonpatchmodular]

3:05 HI MOM!!! LOOK I'M ON TV!!!! Also as a reply to the other comment I was wrongly saying nylon but I kind of assumed they probably were gut back then. What I really meant to say is that nowadays they use nylon and metal, and they already used the metal back then. I really didn't know they used silk on the wound strings though. That's why we are here, to learn! Thanks for featuring my comment.

[@ahriik]

Five Watt World is fantastic! Love seeing it get the recognition it deserves

[@doc_matter]

So nice you shouted out 5 watt world! His channel I CRIMINALLY UNDERARED!!

[@jasonaustin3270]

I've read books and studied guitar since the early 80's. And I didn't even know about the 37 solid body bass! Thanks Josh.

[@jhspedals]

You bet!

[@paulunnasch810]

Five Watt World is such a cool channel, glad you mentioned him. Really enjoy these deep dives into the history of these seemingly ubiquitous pieces of gear.

[@johnpowell67]

Hey Josh, thanks for the lessons. In looking at the Gretsch guitar, I noticed its tuning keys. I have one of the lap steels that these keys were made for. It has a Stauffer-style head headstock (very Fender-ish). The guitar is not label, but the keys are stamped ‘Harlin Brothers.This lap-style guitar also has a spring-loaded lever by the bridge that is hooked up to a tone pot. Like an early wah circuit. Unfortunately mine is disconnected. Weird eh?

[@johnpowell67]

H

[@alexedwards9566]

5 Watt World is great! So is this Series!!!!!

[@w13rdguy]

That's a lot of slides, Josh. Thanks for all the hard work!

[@davedoubleddykhuizen]

I always marvel that two young buddies, Charlie Christian and Tibaulx Walker would both be the firstest with mostest in their respective fields and basically write the playbook so thoroughly that jazz and blues guitar really can't be played without their very personal aesthetics shining through. See a photo of TBone doing the splits with a guitar behind his head and playing with his teeth and you see the straight line from the dawn of electric guitar to Hendrix and beyond.

[@aliasdandavisofficial]

RE "Walker": In the Chuck Berry documentary, he goes out of his way to acknowledge how much of his performance style was inspired by T Bone Walker. The first time I heard "Strollin' With Bone" really blew my mind. Chuck Berry was a whole lot more than a T Bone Walker tribute act, but so much of of his "thing" is all right there in that one song. Charlie Christian was a better guitar player than I'll ever be, but his type of swing doesn't grab me like what came just a little later. /// Les Paul was a hack inventor compared to his reputation - but he makes up for that as the guy who played the solo on "How High The Moon".

[@djadequate]

Bill Bryson has a great book called A Short History of Nearly Everything, that covers in part so many instances of people who become famous for inventing something someone a genration earlier invented but never caught on. (Sometime intentionally, sometime accidentaly). Makes a great case for how adjacent technologies, societal readiness and just plain luck impact who is remembered, and how it's all mostly evolution not invention.

[@wyattlauth1453]

I can’t unsee Josh’s resemblance to Ms. Doubtfire🤯

[@ImNotOld_ImVintage]

I have been thinking about it, and you are teaching more people history than history professors are with PHD's at universities.... and for free. You may think it's a niche area of learning, but let's be honest, this is more interesting and useful than most of what is taught in niche areas of learning provided by universities. I hearby, with no authority from any institution of highly learning, confer upon you an honourary PHD. And furthermore, when referring to you or addressing you, you shall be Dr. Josh.

[@ChrisReedJr]

Here! Here!

[@davecooper5951]

Lots of fascinating history here.....Thanks (from the UK).

[@SafeHandsProductions]

thank you so much for doing these and sharing this side of you, This is one of the best Guitars histories I have ever seen. Great transmission of info. - Like your hassleblad sign. 🙂

[@jawnedgaralice8606]

a renaissance in the world of gear has begun

[@briancheetham9134]

I can’t thank you enough for this. I thought I knew the history but I learned some new things today. This is must see TV!

[@MrMont-ue8kh]

Thanks, Josh. Fighting "internet common knowledge" is like trying to beat back the ocean with a broom, but that doesn't change the fact that what you're doing is important. Thank you for taking the time to research and share. You've got to expect some trolling, but don't let it dishearten you. You've got some fans here. I'm excited to hear more.

[@picksalot1]

Great research, particularly on the first Solid Body Electric Guitar and Bass. Thanks

[@DRChevalier]

Monday Monologues is my favourite JHS production. High quality, open, honest, no foolishness. Thank you so much Josh.

[@Dustx85]

Great Scott! The Avocado 🥑 poster love ❤️

[@scottpickett9779]

Very Nice !

[@JoshuaC923]

Another awesome video Josh! Very interesting stories about the prewar guitars, especially the solid bodies

[@macsarcule]

Thanks Josh! So glad you gave the shoutout to five watt world. ✌️🙂🎸

[@JoshuaC923]

One of my favourite guitar channels!

[@IanOPadrick]

I hope the meeting between Les Paul, Leo Fender, and Paul Bigsby where they look at the Log and Fender offers to make the Fender Les Paul ends up in the next one

[@J.C...]

Nice Tele hanging in the back! It looks just like mine! 👌

[@DJ_Cthulhu]

This series is fascinating and well researched. Kudos 🖖

[@ricklodewell6012]

Thanks for these talks. This stuff is fascinating.

[@ipuya]

Awesome video! Love this series!!

[@figueroalabs]

We do really take for granted having electricity everywhere. My family in Costa Rica reminds me when this new thing called a "washing machine" came out, and starting replacing the jobs of people who came to your house and washed the clothes for everyone in the house. BTW, silk strings are still a thing. I repair guitars as a hobby, and some times, old guitars without trust rods just can't take the permanent tension or metal or even nylon strings, so I tend to ship them out with silk strings as they are way more gentle to the guitar neck. Cool streams.

[@bnf82]

Thank you so much for these lessons! I have a huge respect for you, Josh

[@Andy_Roonie22]

Man these videos are on point! Cannot wait for part three. So much cool history I wouldn’t have known if you didn’t make such dang good videos haha

[@theochristie4875]

Thanks Josh. You found a number of interesting details in this history that I had not heard before!

[@edmundtrebus4084]

I come to this channel not just for the pedal talk, but for the entertainment and interesting topics. 👍

[@nabilcharbel4136]

Very interesting topic, can't wait to watch the next ones, thx Josh

[@dr.s.]

Thanks again for this video. It's really appreciated.

[@YVIL65]

A really good book covering exactly this topic with lots of pictures and even an app is the Pinecaster book by Nacho Banos, Lynn Wheelwright and Billy F. Gibbons (aka the Reverend); the app contains lots of pictures and also demo videos of certain of these guitars.

[@ryangunwitch-black]

I'm trying to decide which kidney I need less because I want that book.

[@J.C...]

Dang it. How'd I miss this? WAIT! I know! I never got a notification 🤣

[@JamieSingsSometimes]

Thanks for this Josh ❤

[@sethellsworth9546]

Lovin' all your videos, and the history videos in particular. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I was teling a friend who has a couple of Loar guitars about you mentioning Loar, and it reminded me that I have a really cool guitar resource that I got in 2009. I've looked at it a couple of times, but it's mostly just been "on display" on a shelf in my home studio. I took it out and went through it tonight, and it has pictures and historical information about everything you've talked about and so much more. You asked for possible resources you haven't yet consumed, so I thought I'd post it here in case it can be helpful for you or others. The book is called "The Illustrated Directory of Guitars" Edited by Ray Bonds. I was either gifted my copy or purchased it myself at Half Price Books in 2009. It has a 2004/06 publishing date through Salamander Books/Barnes & Noble Publishing, but I took a quick glance online and saw a 2003 edition, so I'm not sure how far back editions go or how many updated editions have been published since 2006. This particular edition is very affordable. I saw $4-$11. Well worth picking up. It's a pretty amazing small, but thick, resource book. I hope someone finds this useful.

[@johnwalsh3919]

Absolutely brilliant, really really enjoying these videos, thank you so much for taking the time to make them, even at 60 every day is a school day, take care , ✌️🧷🎸

[@Dobrovinskiy]

Awesome story

[@MilesTippett]

Thanks for everything you do! This is invaluable for us nerds!

[@neutralgod300]

1/4 INCH JACK, ARE FROM THE TELEPHONE CENTRE!

[@scottakam]

Another good discussion. I appreciate the nod to Topsy the elephant's role in the electric guitar!

[@philkeevill]

This awesome, thank you so much! I actually have a mint condition Rickenbacher lap steel - they changed the name at some point for a while because it sounded too German. Great to learn about the whole history.

[@RobMods]

Another great video. The technology in the radio and phonograph players of course lead to the guitar amp, but the real adjacent possible was what was coming out of the radio. Music in people's homes. This is what drove people to buy instruments. Between the wars, because of the radio, we had mass communication, the recording industry, the rise of media moguls and the concept of media monopoly, plus the idea of pop music heroes like Benny Goodman. Here in Australia, radios were the first item sold through higher purchase schemes. And FWIW, they were mostly battery powered, with rechargeable wet cells, that you'd swap when you came into town. So even rural people had the airwaves.

[@ryangunwitch-black]

The book "The Birth of Loud" is awesome. I've seen some contradictory info in other books but it's a great read and generally informative .

[@horizontalblanking]

These are great! Some parts I knew about, but there are definitely some “holes” in my knowledge. I’m really glad you’re doing these. Oh… and my Dad was born in Jackson, MS.

[@blakejackson4483]

Will JHS join the IR train? What about profilers? Will you always be a pedal company? Will you start to make modelers? Just curious. I love EVERYTHING YOU ALL DO!!!

[@mtndon329]

I just love this, your information is just so broad-based , knowledgeable & well researched. Rickenbacker’s prewar & wartime horseshoe pick ups are special. I am looking forward to the research material that you were going to talk about that you used to find out this information. Have you tried the MXR resonator pedal? And for the old guitars that do not have a tone knob do you make a small pedal or knob that could be placed between the guitar and the amp that would be tone control/ knob. Thanks again a job well done.

[@doctoribanez]

These inventions must have taken years to be known of back then. Kind of mind blowing compared to today's world. It's hard to even imagine. Even something extraordinary amazing might not even ever be known about in rural someplace.

[@onionheadguy7094]

These videos are so hella cool

[@waltonadams3483]

I love this. Spanish and bronze or steel

[@pigboypunk]

this is great. thanks for mining the information and sharing it with everyone. good on ya jhs!

[@nachobassman]

This Monday talks are great (way more interesting than the D&D stuff, IMO). I like the paused, thoughtful history themes you are bringing on the table. Keep ‘em coming!

[@kevinalexpeek4020]

Love Five Watt World!

[@taylorwerner384]

I own a Vega Electrovox from 1940 that’s a very early contender in the electric guitar game

[@shanemorgan8910]

Turn these into a podcast so I don’t have to use KZbin in my pocket at work.

[@TheAshleywiggins]

FYI - Django Reinhardt was the first guitar hero. He also played and recorded electric guitar.

[@jhspedals]

Sure. I said electric guitar hero 👍

[@kentl7228]

What about Segovia for first guitar hero? He revolutionised classical guitar and was very famous. Josh absolutely said Electric guitar hero. 7 come 11 is fantastic and an example of one of the first riff songs ever.

[@Warren88francis]

I’ve really been enjoying this history lesson, but I had to comment on this last part of your concept of innovation. I’ve been building a small effects company, and founding it off of really basic ideas. And when I run my designs by my friends they say “oh so and so has already done thar” or “that reminds me of the blah blah blah Klon 🤮” or my personal favorite “well what you really should do is this that and the other” well, ya know what, it sounds nice to me and it makes me happy. You’re whining over what diodes I used and I’m making music, so yeah I’m gonna try 10 different buffer/boost ideas. Don’t pin my wings down 🦋

[@MichaelTheLibertarian]

Les was infamous for "grabbing" other peoples' work, making a minor "improvement", and running to the patent office. Look, I knew Les Paul. I was raised partially in Mahwah. I have photos of me, at the Les Paul Museum there (playing Jimmy Page's '59 Les Paul. How cool is that? I also have sound recordings [and I did NOT play Stairway or Heartbreaker])

[@robertlathan4639]

I had heard of audiovox radios but nothing about guitars

[@jmledesma88]

Marty McFly plays a ES-345 and the crazy thing is neither that one or the 335 were invented by 1955 when he supposedly played them.

[@ryangunwitch-black]

"Three parts....at least..." Oh, heavens, NO! I can't handle it! (Long live long form content on KZbin!)

[@nicholaspossinger7993]

If you're doing a new legends of fuzz it has to be a buzzaround! That is the BEST fuzz circuit that nobody is producing at mass! Plus it's got the most interactive controls a pedal could have and the array of fuzz tones they can offer are wild! Especially if you have some good medium/high gain transistors then that circuit can scream as it tends to be a loud circuit anyway

[@zachariahpoltergeist4516]

11:22 Aaaww, Topsy!

[@thomaslthomas1506]

The early bird gets the worm. But The second mouse gets the cheese.

[@MotorRoseMusic]

What is that avacado 🥑 picture of? I have a postcard of Led Zeppelin's 1969 show at Bill Graham's place it reminds me of. I know it's not it, but it reminds me of it. I was curious what it was.

[@doctoribanez]

Its a pearl jam album from something like 2006

[@andrewhowie6646]

I may have given a critical comment on your 1st history of the whys and wherefores of how the electric guitar came to be what it is. I apologize with all my heart if this seemed critical in a negative "dumb" way... any understanding of the historical context of the electronic development in music is a good thing. Push a button on a pedal making more good sound is always good!! Thank you

[@waltonadams3483]

Do not stop

[@wado1942]

I remember seeing an interview with Les Paul where he said that band mates simply DIDN'T LIKE him playing a solid body guitar, so he came up with a solid-body guitar that simply looked like a hollow-body.

[@kentl7228]

I thought he said it was the audience. That some would wonder if there was the actual guitar player behind a curtain. He said that people "hear with their eyes"

[@66numero]

First is not best: can you make a separate episode on this? Including above all the Jhs products which did not work. Thanks.

[@paulmiller9023]

You said to there was two cables. I wonder when guitar cables were invented? The pickup is important but where was the cable? As always, Awesome stuff!

[@jhspedals]

Guitar cables are just patch phone cables.

[@margarethouse404]

On my 1939 Electromuse Steel , the cable is permanently wired to the instrument , and 1/4 jack on the ( amp) end .

[@J.C...]

Everything I see says the Electro Spanish Rickenbacher is a hollow body made of bakelite and the 5 cavities are covered by those silver/nickel/chrome pieces on top. 🤷

[@stephanematis]

I am a techie, and I can concur, 1st is often more of a failed potential that inspires the next iteration. In a word for techies: Linux

[@johnnywatkins]

HOW DO I SPELL WORLD!!! Ooh wait….. I DID IT GUYS!

[@ushnicyuvnikof2748]

How loud were early amps and how narly was the break up?

[@ross3818]

Goodman's musicians had to convince BG to take Charlie on. Such were the times.

[@waltonadams3483]

Ground and asignal

[@margarethouse404]

No disrespect to Charlie Christian , but he was not the First Electric Guitar Hero . That was Junior Barnard in 1937 .

[@GLENNKEARNEY1]

is that Mic a SHURE MV7X XLR Podcast Microphone, and have you used it in the studio for vocal recording

[@cartoonvillains7080]

3 parts? Coward! Give us the six parts you secretly yearn for! 🤘🏻🤣

[@ricklodewell6012]

It's FIVE watt world, not 5.

[@waltonadams3483]

Awww teach us.. I love nickel wound. The pickups on rickies were very weak. But tone wise were awesome back in the day. They used cardioid mics and very simple amps. Big deal

[@kentl7228]

Les Paul was the first man to brag about building the electric guitar )

[@Olympianative]

It is not hard to get excited about lap steel in 2022.

[@bsjeffrey]

but what ab0ut the log?

[@jhspedals]

Next week

[@CarsInDimension]

Not sure why you pronounced Zephyr as Zi-pher, it's a soft E. Lincoln had a model called the Zephyr in the 1930s.

[@jonathanstrand2474]

Will they get electrocuted? Ever heard of the death cap in pre-1950’s amps?, it was dangerous to play one then

[@kodykindhart5644]

My new prog band is alternate adjacent Our first album is adjacent possible We just need a new jhs pedal to make it reality instead of adjacent probable

[@kodykindhart5644]

But seriously don’t tell anyone about super secret band 🤫🤫🤫

[@stewarttomkinson3356]

They should have ask Tesla to make a amp

[@waltonadams3483]

Worthless;). Great stuff

[@Mark761966]

But your WW2 didn't happen until late 41. So why did the pre war story end in 39?

[@ryangunwitch-black]

7:26 ....to get far from this opera forevermore?

[@ross3818]

The U.S. entered WW II in 1941. Germany kicked off the war when it invaded Poland in 1939.

[@mykhedelic6471]

Les Paul was a brilliant guitarist and producer/engineer--- but he also treated an absolute diamond of a regal lady like Mary Ford like trash. Probably his biggest regret. LP was flawed.

[@jonpatchmodular]

Man, KZbin is so bad sometimes it's even funny, jeez